Acid Based Hull Cleaners on Fiberglass

[gdmatson]

Used Ez on/Ez off on my big boat for years. Worked great but very potent! Follow the directions and be mindful of everything, skin, clothes, ground ect. Great product!

[jjt23]

On 4/13/2017 at 8:11 AM, sunvalleylaw said:

There are many wax recommendations here on the forum.  Search and you will find threads with many people's favorites.  My prior owner kept my boat nicely waxed up.  I think he just used his decent car "waxes".  I plan on using Star Brite PTEF Marine polish, followed by Griot's garage poly, and either 303 marine protectant or Star Brite Speed Detailer and Boat Guard for the vinyl, etc.  Probably will go with 303 there. There are a lot of threads, but here is the one I was using where folks chime in on some good options.  I bought my boat last August, so am figuring all the same stuff out. 

I like the idea of the Star Brite PTEF polish because it has some sun protectant in it, and following up with the Griot's Garage Poly because that seems to work well as a finishing touch and I will be using that on the cars also so no need for a separate product.  

Here is what I read to decide I was going to use the Griot's poly.  

 

Great threads here.  Thanks for sharing.  I am looking at trying the Griot's Liquid PolyWax.

[onamission]

30+ years of hull cleaning and waxing.  Nu Hull is the best cleaner I've used and ReJex is a great wax.

[ahopkins22LSV]

Following this thread closely as I am being forced to leave my boat in the water this summer.  The DNR is closing our launch from May 10th until mid September to completely redo it. There are private launches I have access to but they don't allow for a solo launch/retrieve, no dock or parking.

I do plan to pull the boat out once every two weeks to clean and let air out for a bit. I am really hoping that I don't get any gel blisters. 

[onamission]

1 hour ago, ahopkinsTXi said:

I do plan to pull the boat out once every two weeks to clean and let air out for a bit. I am really hoping that I don't get any gel blisters. 

Thats exactly what a numbers of us do every 2-3 weeks,.  Not a single blister,  except one that stays in all year, ( a Mastercraft ).

Heading down to Travers to ski  and visit with Ron and Mary,  I'll say hi.

 

 

 

[ahopkins22LSV]

49 minutes ago, onamission said:

Thats exactly what a numbers of us do every 2-3 weeks,.  Not a single blister,  except one that stays in all year, ( a Mastercraft ).

Heading down to Travers to ski  and visit with Ron and Mary,  I'll say hi.

 

 

 

Yes please say hi to them for me!

And great to hear. How long do you keep your boat out when you pull it?

[jjackkrash]

2 hours ago, ahopkinsTXi said:

Following this thread closely as I am being forced to leave my boat in the water this summer.  The DNR is closing our launch from May 10th until mid September to completely redo it. There are private launches I have access to but they don't allow for a solo launch/retrieve, no dock or parking.

I do plan to pull the boat out once every two weeks to clean and let air out for a bit. I am really hoping that I don't get any gel blisters. 

I hate to cause worry, but check out the guy's blister thread running right now on Planet Nautique.  The pics gave me chills. 

Its in the Maintenance/Tech section.  

Edited April 19, 2017 by jjackkrash

[ahopkins22LSV]

Just now, jjackkrash said:

I hate to cause worry, but check out the guy's blister thread running right now on Planet Nautique.  The pics gave me chills. 

I know. It's a risk I'm willing to take. It is either that or not use my boat all summer. Worst case I have a good friend who is a very good fiberglass repair man. 

[jjackkrash]

Just now, ahopkinsTXi said:

I know. It's a risk I'm willing to take. It is either that or not use my boat all summer. Worst case I have a good friend who is a very good fiberglass repair man. 

If bottom paint is out, I am wondering of one of the new high-tech sealers might be worth a look.  Good luck.  

[ahopkins22LSV]

Just now, jjackkrash said:

If bottom paint is out, I am wondering of one of the new high-tech sealers might be worth a look.  Good luck.  

Yeah bottom paint is out. I'm looking through sealant options now. 

[Bill_AirJunky]

2 hours ago, ahopkinsTXi said:

Following this thread closely as I am being forced to leave my boat in the water this summer.  The DNR is closing our launch from May 10th until mid September to completely redo it. There are private launches I have access to but they don't allow for a solo launch/retrieve, no dock or parking.

I do plan to pull the boat out once every two weeks to clean and let air out for a bit. I am really hoping that I don't get any gel blisters. 

I've been doing it for years & don't have any problems. Plus I work for a company that has 1100 tenants who do it & don't have issues.

That said, I know someone who has blisters under the wet bunks on his trailer. So now he's trying to figure out how to dry out the bunks so it doesn't get worse.  

[onamission]

1 hour ago, ahopkinsTXi said:

Yes please say hi to them for me!

And great to hear. How long do you keep your boat out when you pull it?

Our boat does sit in a canel with very little movement.

 

Scub the hull with a micro fabric mitt when out lounging. 

Normally I try for 2-3 days. But there are times I pull it, quick hull clean,  gas station and back in.  Other times longer, bad weather etc. 

If you can do it the launch,  the sooner the better.  

Edited April 19, 2017 by onamission

[Slurpee]

6 hours ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

I've been doing it for years & don't have any problems. Plus I work for a company that has 1100 tenants who do it & don't have issues.

That said, I know someone who has blisters under the wet bunks on his trailer. So now he's trying to figure out how to dry out the bunks so it doesn't get worse.  

@Bill_AirJunky  I just bought these for my lift.  SnapTraxx.  I'll be installing them tonight.  I pulled the carpet off a couple days ago.  No more wet bunks on my hull.

[sunvalleylaw]

51 minutes ago, Slurpee said:

@Bill_AirJunky  I just bought these for my lift.  SnapTraxx.  I'll be installing them tonight.  I pulled the carpet off a couple days ago.  No more wet bunks on my hull.

So are those kinda plastic and rubber?  Hard for me to tell.  Seems like they might be slick for on a trailer?  Or are they kinda like a "spatula" sort of rubber surrounded by plastic?  

[malibu2004]

8 hours ago, jjackkrash said:

I hate to cause worry, but check out the guy's blister thread running right now on Planet Nautique.  The pics gave me chills. 

Its in the Maintenance/Tech section.  

That's what my boat looks like. Other than the blister (big issue) the boat has been fantastic. I was going to get it fixed but then after finding out it might happen again I decided to live with it. 

[Bill_AirJunky]

5 hours ago, Slurpee said:

@Bill_AirJunky  I just bought these for my lift.  SnapTraxx.  I'll be installing them tonight.  I pulled the carpet off a couple days ago.  No more wet bunks on my hull.

Cool. A couple of things about them. Don't let them sit out in the sun, snow, etc. They don't last. And forever live by the fact that you absolutely have to have the bow attached to the stantion, or the boat WILL fall off the trailer.

I pull a lot of boats in & out over the course of a summer. Never had a problem with wet bunks, only one guy who had an MC X2.

[Slurpee]

2 minutes ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

Cool. A couple of things about them. Don't let them sit out in the sun, snow, etc. They don't last. And forever live by the fact that you absolutely have to have the bow attached to the stantion, or the boat WILL fall off the trailer.

I pull a lot of boats in & out over the course of a summer. Never had a problem with wet bunks, only one guy who had an MC X2.

Oh I believe it.  I got these for my lift cradle where the boat spends 99.9% of its time.  No worries about things sliding off in that situation.  And it won't be in the sun.  The cradle is either under the boat or under the water.  I did get to check out the two types.  There's a smooth type which is basically some kind of plastic that reminds me of how synthetic decking like Trex feels.  The type with a good grip was softer on the treads that touch the boat.  

Even with how slippery they are reputed to be on the trailer I think I'd still do that if I trailer regularly.  Just loading the boat on my trailer maybe 6 times in the last year still left visible scuffs up and down the gel coat on my Reuben colored hull. Next boat will NOT have a solid colored hull.  No one can see it, but I know they're down there. LOL.

[Bill_AirJunky]

17 minutes ago, Slurpee said:

Oh I believe it.  I got these for my lift cradle where the boat spends 99.9% of its time.  No worries about things sliding off in that situation.  And it won't be in the sun.  The cradle is either under the boat or under the water.  I did get to check out the two types.  There's a smooth type which is basically some kind of plastic that reminds me of how synthetic decking like Trex feels.  The type with a good grip was softer on the treads that touch the boat.  

Even with how slippery they are reputed to be on the trailer I think I'd still do that if I trailer regularly.  Just loading the boat on my trailer maybe 6 times in the last year still left visible scuffs up and down the gel coat on my Reuben colored hull. Next boat will NOT have a solid colored hull.  No one can see it, but I know they're down there. LOL.

I've seen them on lifts too. And the sun cooked them good in like a year or two.

There was a guy on Sammamish who had them. Nice SAN on a Nyman hydraulic lift. One day we had a good wind storm & I think the only damage was with that boat. The wind had blown it forward on the lift. No clue if it actually slid forward or just blew it all forward, but the boat landed on the dock in front of it's slip, then slid forward off the dock some more & landed in the marshy gunk between the dock & the shoreline. It had a couple of dings in the hull & tore up the running gear & skegs good. We always laughed about how those things were so slippery that the wind blew the boat off the lift.

BTW, I didn't leave my boat in the water for that storm. A pile of us were at the ramp that afternoon pulling our boats & watching the white caps.

Edited April 20, 2017 by Bill_AirJunky

[onamission]

On 4/19/2017 at 9:58 AM, ahopkinsTXi said:

Yes please say hi to them for me!

Hi back

 

Edited April 24, 2017 by onamission

[Slurpee]

On 4/19/2017 at 9:49 PM, Bill_AirJunky said:

I've seen them on lifts too. And the sun cooked them good in like a year or two.

There was a guy on Sammamish who had them. Nice SAN on a Nyman hydraulic lift. One day we had a good wind storm & I think the only damage was with that boat. The wind had blown it forward on the lift. No clue if it actually slid forward or just blew it all forward, but the boat landed on the dock in front of it's slip, then slid forward off the dock some more & landed in the marshy gunk between the dock & the shoreline. It had a couple of dings in the hull & tore up the running gear & skegs good. We always laughed about how those things were so slippery that the wind blew the boat off the lift.

BTW, I didn't leave my boat in the water for that storm. A pile of us were at the ramp that afternoon pulling our boats & watching the white caps.

I'm gonna vote Busted on this one.  I've got the Snaptraxx on the lift, and the boat on the lift, and I'm a paranoid SoB when it comes to the boat so I hooked some winch straps up to the bow ring and the dock piers and started winching away.  I'm not a wimp and that boat did not budge at all. And before I did it I even waxed the Snaptraxx (don't laugh the reason is below), and still no budge.  I'm going to make the supposition that the hydro-hoist got bounced around a lot by that wind and wave action and significantly contributed to that story.

So why did I wax the bunks?  Well, I'm trying to massively minimize any prolonged water contact with the gel-coat .  I noticed that the bunks don't perfectly conform to the complex shape of the hull and there are places that there is a gap (1/32 - 3/16") between the grey pads and the hull where the surface tension of the water is enough to hold a standing column of water even 24 hours after being up in the air. Take a moment here folks... physics is so cool.  Anyways, waxing the bunks stops that.  And they're all kinds of easier to wax than the same spots on the hull of a boat.  

[sunvalleylaw]

13 hours ago, Slurpee said:

I'm gonna vote Busted on this one.  I've got the Snaptraxx on the lift, and the boat on the lift, and I'm a paranoid SoB when it comes to the boat so I hooked some winch straps up to the bow ring and the dock piers and started winching away.  I'm not a wimp and that boat did not budge at all. And before I did it I even waxed the Snaptraxx (don't laugh the reason is below), and still no budge.  I'm going to make the supposition that the hydro-hoist got bounced around a lot by that wind and wave action and significantly contributed to that story.

So why did I wax the bunks?  Well, I'm trying to massively minimize any prolonged water contact with the gel-coat .  I noticed that the bunks don't perfectly conform to the complex shape of the hull and there are places that there is a gap (1/32 - 3/16") between the grey pads and the hull where the surface tension of the water is enough to hold a standing column of water even 24 hours after being up in the air. Take a moment here folks... physics is so cool.  Anyways, waxing the bunks stops that.  And they're all kinds of easier to wax than the same spots on the hull of a boat.  

So, you are calling "bunk" on that story?   Ba dum dum.  

Interesting.  My new to me boat lived on a lift on Lake Sammamish for years, with traditional bunks.  And the Ryan trailer has traditional bunks too.  In decent shape now, but when I re-do, I will consider this product.  We will be trailering and launching, then bringing the boat back up onto the trailer, other than overnight anchoring, now that the boat lives in the mountains of Idaho.  It does not seem to have blistering issues now, but I do have some water stain clean up to handle, just back in the bunks area, and will be thoroughly cleaning, polishing and waxing (with griot's poly) the entire hull.  

[ahopkins22LSV]

Those are for sure interesting looking. I wonder how they wear compared to carpet. When you trailer your boat 2-3 times a week to use it, the bunk carpet wears out pretty quick. And no I don't power load.

[sunvalleylaw]

3 minutes ago, ahopkinsTXi said:

Those are for sure interesting looking. I wonder how they wear compared to carpet. When you trailer your boat 2-3 times a week to use it, the bunk carpet wears out pretty quick. And no I don't power load.

Ok, new DD owner dumb question.  How do you load if not under power?  I am until late last summer, an outboard guy, and we got close, came in while the motor was tipping back up, and winched the rest of the way. But that was on rollers.  The times I launched and loaded our new-old 'Bu last year, I floated off, and set the trailer deep enough to need only a little power to finish loading for back on.  It can be tricky as it can be windy at the ramp by the time you need to pull, or sometimes storms come up and you need to pull fast.  Any good advice you can give a newb would be appreciated.

[ahopkins22LSV]

Just now, sunvalleylaw said:

Ok, new DD owner dumb question.  How do you load if not under power?  I am until late last summer, an outboard guy, and we got close, came in while the motor was tipping back up, and winched the rest of the way. But that was on rollers.  The times I launched and loaded our new-old 'Bu last year, I floated off, and set the trailer deep enough to need only a little power to finish loading for back on.  It can be tricky as it can be windy at the ramp by the time you need to pull, or sometimes storms come up and you need to pull fast.  Any good advice you can give a newb would be appreciated.

With our single axle trailer I have the water just above the top of the wheel wells. Then idle the boat on and at our launch angle that only leave about 1.5-2' of winching to do.

[sunvalleylaw]

Just now, ahopkinsTXi said:

With our single axle trailer I have the water just above the top of the wheel wells. Then idle the boat on and at our launch angle that only leave about 1.5-2' of winching to do.

Oh, ok.  We don't have a winch on ours.  I guess I could add one.  We do kinda the same thing but power on for the last 1.5-2.  But it makes me nervous.  Would rather winch.